Evaluation of Tahiti lemon shell flour (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) as a fat mimetic

The citrus juice industry produces a significant amount of peel residues; it can represent between 18 and 30% of the total weight of the fruit. In recent years, there has been an increase in its use as a source of fiber. The objective of this study was to evaluate the Tahiti lemon peel flour (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) as a fat mimetic (10, 20 and 30%) in a cake. The chemical and nutritional characterization of the lemon peel, the determination of the drying conditions to obtain the flour of the lemon peel, and the physical, chemical, and nutritional characterization of the lemon peel flour and cake was evaluated. A high content of dietary fiber for Tahiti lemon peel (89.15 ± 0.00 g/100 g) and flour (85.30 ± 0.06 g/100 g) was obtained. For the drying conditions to obtain the lemon peel flour, a temperature of 60 °C during 16 h was selected. The cake with greater acceptability had a 10% fat replacement with lemon peel flour, which presented a reduction of 19.16% in the fat content and an approximately double increase in the dietary fiber content. This study suggests that the flour obtained from Tahiti lemon flavedo can be used as a mimetic of fat in cakes, contributing to the nutritional characteristics of the food in which it is included.